Late Spring Aeration

Deep, solid tine aeration

Deep, solid tine aeration was completed on Tuesday, May 28th. A contractor using a pull behind aerating unit with 5/16" solid tines was used on all of the greens. The tines go into the soil around 8" to 10" inches. We aerate greens three times a year; deep, solid tine aerate in the spring, needle tine aerate in mid-summer, and core aerate in the early fall. The benefits of aeration are as follows:

• Decreases organic matter (thatch) which lessens disease presence, and helps water and nutrients to penetrate into the root zone.

• Alleviates soil compaction caused by foot traffic.

• Helps to create a smooth putting surface

• Helps with water drainage, especially on soil based greens.

• Promotes healthy and deep roots helping the turf get through the hot and stressful summer months

topdressing after aerating

aeration holes

Aeration has to be done when the grass is growing to minimize damage and allow for a quick recovery back to optimal playing conditions. Sand topdressing will be applied after aeration. I wrote about the benefits of topdressing in a previous post. In short, aeration needs to be done to maintain a healthy green. There will be a short term impact on playing conditions, yet within a week, the conditions will be improved. 

For more information click here for a very informative USGA article on aerating.